Coaxial connectors are used, for example, to connect a signal generating apparatus to a signal receiving apparatus. Conventional coaxial connectors include an inner conductor or contact, an outer conductor or shell, and an insulator disposed between the inner contact and the outer shell. The size, shape, and arrangement of these various components can vary significantly. For example, some coaxial connectors have both their inner and outer conductors axially aligned with one another along the respective lengths of the connectors. Other mateable pairs of coaxial connectors comprise at least one connector that extends through a right angle. Some coaxial connectors are mounted directly to the signal generating or signal receiving apparatus. Other coaxial connectors are mounted to a coaxial cable which, in turn, extends to the apparatus. Some coaxial connectors are constructed for easy push-pull mating and unmating. Others are mated with a threaded coupling nut.
A bayonet navy connector (BNC) is one such coaxial cable connector having an inner contact and an outer shell. The outer shell is connected to a cable shield that is, ideally, at ground potential. Because shielded cables prevent radiofrequency (RF) emissions from the cable, BNCs are often used for high frequency communications, such as local area network (LAN) systems. Distinguishing features of the BNC include its bayonet coupling for ease of connection, and a small profile, which is critical in LAN applications due to small size and component densities.
One advantage of a coaxial connector is that a signal provided to the signal generating or signal receiving apparatus is shielded to prevent noise from degrading the signal. Typically, the signal generating or signal receiving apparatus comprises a substrate, such as a printed circuit board (PCB), onto which the coaxial connector is mounted. A typical coaxial connector is electrically connected, via traces on the PCB, to other electronic components, such as transformers, capacitors, light emitting diodes (LEDs), or the like, that are also mounted on the PCB.
It is known in the art that the voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) performance of an electrical system mounted onto a PCB is adversely affected as signals traverse the traces between components. Thus, it would be advantageous to reduce the number of, or even to eliminate, the traces on the PCB that electrically connect the coaxial connector with other electronic components.
Moreover, as the need for smaller PCBs become more critical, it would be advantageous to use the space available on the PCB more efficiently by reducing the amount of space required to mount the same number of components (i.e., by increasing component density).